But the robber was running away, and posed no threat any more. So any more violence isn't reasonable force.

On a serious note, the man was committing a felony, if the person wanted to he could've declared a citizens arrest and gone after him. Of course I doubt it and you're right he had no right hitting him as he was fleeing in most states in the US.

On a serious note, the man was committing a felony, if the person wanted to he could've declared a citizens arrest and gone after him. Of course I doubt it and you're right he had no right hitting him as he was fleeing in most states in the US.

I don't know enough about US law to comment, but I would assume it's fairly similar to UK law. I've never got the citizen's arrest thing, do you just have to yell "citizen's arrest" and pin them down till the cops show up? does the criminal have any rights (like they do under normal arrest)? this is going quite off topic, sorry.
I would also question the sense of choosing to have more confrontation that necessary with a guy with a knife, why bother to chase him down and increase the chance of being stabbed even more? :confused1

I agree, having seen my dad pin a burglar, only to have burglar#2 come back and kick him into unconciousness (I was 12, there was **** all I could do). Citizen's arrest is dumb. I was just wondering what it actually is, like the legal side?

I don't know enough about US law to comment, but I would assume it's fairly similar to UK law. I've never got the citizen's arrest thing, do you just have to yell "citizen's arrest" and pin them down till the cops show up? does the criminal have any rights (like they do under normal arrest)? this is going quite off topic, sorry.
I would also question the sense of choosing to have more confrontation that necessary with a guy with a knife, why bother to chase him down and increase the chance of being stabbed even more? :confused1

Don't preach to the choir dude I agree to no end. Why go after a guy if you don't have to. I'd comment more on the law but I don't know what state that was.